Producing metallic layers on sheets through a foil transfer method is known. For example, EP 0 569 520 B1 describes a printing material and a printing device that utilizes such a foil material. This reference relates to a sheet-fed machine with a feed unit and a delivery unit. Printing units and a coating module are arranged between the feed and delivery units. An adhesive pattern is applied using lithographic printing in at least one of the printing units. This adhesive pattern is applied with a cold printing method and has a certain design. A foil guide provided in the coating module is arranged downstream of the printing unit and features an impression cylinder and a press cylinder. This foil guide is designed such that a foil strip or a transfer foil can be guided from a foil supply roll through a transfer gap in the coating module between the impression cylinder and the press cylinder. The foil strip is rolled up again on the delivery side after it emerges from the coating module. The transfer foil features a carrier layer on which image-forming layers such as metallic layers (for example, made of aluminum) may be applied. A separation layer is provided between the metallic layer and the carrier foil. The separation layer ensures that the metallic layer can be removed from the carrier layer.
Each sheet is provided with an adhesive pattern as the sheets are transported through the printing unit. Subsequently, the sheet is guided through the coating module, in which the sheet lying on the impression cylinder is brought in contact with the foil material via the press cylinder. During this process, the metallic layer is arranged on the bottom and is tightly bonded to the areas of the sheet provided with the adhesive. As the sheet is transported, the metallic layer adheres only in the area of the adhesive pattern. As a result, the metallic layer is removed from the carrier foil in the area of the adhesive pattern. The consumed transfer foil is then rewound. The sheet is delivered in the coated state.
Utilizing coating modules of this type, for example, in printing units of printing machines is known. However, the disadvantage of these modules is that they cannot be flexibly utilized.